Coalville Avenge November Defeat

Coalville 60 - 14 Mansfield

This contest between two great clubs who have known each other a long time proved to be more one-sided than the blue & whites would have like in the final analysis. After losing to Mansfield in November, Coalville were in no mood for a repeat of that and on a special VPs day they put together a performance that ensured a five point victory for their invited guests.

Head Coach Wayne Robinson said, “With four Colts in the side and all of them on debut I’m proud of the way the lads stuck at it. The last 15 minutes were always going to take their toll but we battled for an hour and that is encouraging for the future”.

The fours debutants Bradley Mower, Dec Coppock, Sam Eames & Jack Sibeko all acquitted themselves well drawing praise from the opposition support as well as their own.

On a heavy and muddy pitch it was the home side who came out quickest taking the initiative through their impressive and much heavier forward pack. The first score came after ten minutes and as predicted it was via the driving maul – 7 nil and a sign of things to come.

Another powerful drive from the home forwards produced a second try and on the half hour mark they secured their third to bring the score to 17 nil. It is worthy of note that debutant Regan Hubbard produced some fine kicks out of defence on several occasions to make things difficult for the home side and relieve the pressure on his team.

Each of the youngsters who stepped up to the plate came away with great credit and supported by their team mates were doing a great job in containing a Coalville side intent on reversing their loss at Eakring Road.

Something Mansfield have to work on is the period immediately after half time, where on far too may occasions this season, they have let the opposition take advantage of the restart with a quick try. This game was no different and with only two minutes played in the second half the blue & whites were another score down at 22 nil.

This was definitely the point in the game where according to the script Mansfield should have completed folded and Coalville steamrollered away. However, pride is a funny thing and can make a team unpredictable. Although they were outgunned Mansfield were about to have a go back. With the evergreen Terry Davies organising things from out of position in the Centre, the ball was fed out to Bobby Ogunode who broke free to slip a lovely inside pass to Jack Sebecko. The Colts debutant showed a clean pair of heals to the covering defence to dot down under the posts. Fellow debutant Regan Hubbard added the extras to bring the score to 22-7.

As the third quarter came to a close Mansfield were now well and truly in the game and although it came from a Coalville attack Full back Ollie Stanford collected the ball to sprint two thirds of the pitch and score the visitors second try under the posts. Regan Hubbard improved the score to bring Mansfield‘s final tally of points to 14 and with the score at 22-14 perhaps there was hope.

However a tiring Mansfield were about to fall victim to the vigorous defence they had previously had to provide and as a consequence the last fifteen minutes belonged to the home side who shortly after scored an impressive try to finally break the visitors. Following this in the final minutes tired legs could not hold the home side and three more tries followed to bring about ands emphatic defeat and revenge exacted.

Great credit can be taken from a team who assessed by all who watched never took a backward step and kept going to the very end. The Colts involved in this came all came away with great credit and it was another youngster in Mark Wall who claimed the man of the match award.

There is no game for Mansfield this weekend due to international matches and league action resumes on Saturday 5th March when league leaders Dronfield visit Eakring Road. You can follow the action on Twitter @Mansfield Rugby.